


Leeches

by CrimsonFirebreeze



Series: The Arcana [4]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Asra (The Arcana) Route Spoilers, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Female Apprentice (The Arcana), Implied/Referenced Character Death, Julian Devorak's Route, Julian Devorak's Route Spoilers, Love, Love Triangles, Medieval Medicine, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 11:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21053636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonFirebreeze/pseuds/CrimsonFirebreeze
Summary: Alyce hates leeches and Julian loves the slimy things. Julian's flair for the dramatic leads to a deep conversation that doesn't actually get Alyce out of working with the leeches.





	Leeches

**Author's Note:**

> I am on a roll. I am so sick of this hot mess of a man and how inspiring he is. I love him so much.
> 
> Enjoy

“I draw the line at leeches,” I say as Julian sets a glass jar of slimy, wriggling leeches in front of me. He just smiles, crossing his arms. The leeches swim around in the jar and I groan.

“If you are serious about helping me in the clinic, Leeches,” he says smugly.

I hate them. I hate how he dotes on them. I hate that he loves them. I wrinkle my nose at the jar and push it away from me, “Can’t you just handle the leeches and leave me out of it?”

“My dear, what if I am in the middle of surgery and a patient came in and needed a leech treatment? I would not be able to stop or the patient on my table might DIE,” he says, throwing his arms out for dramatic effect. “I would need you to help the new patient.”

I sigh, rubbing my temples. “You missed your calling as a thespian.”

“Hah, see, what if I am in a play and someone comes to the shop with an infection and needs a leech treatment? I would need you to know your way around a leech!”

“Juian, darling, love of my life, if you don’t bring it down about five notches…”

“Leeches are a very important part of the med-- love of your life? Really? You mean that?” 

I look up at him and his expression is one of shock, disbelief. We may still be in the early stages of our relationship but I would think that by now it’s pretty obvious how I feel about him, after everything we went through together; to clear his name and stop the Devil from merging the Realms.

“How could you think otherwise,” I ask, incredulous.

“Well… I just thought that maybe…” He’s wringing his hands and avoiding my gaze. “Maybe after you remembered everything that… that…”

He can’t finish his sentence and a pained look crosses his face. I know what he’s trying to say and I wonder if I am I responsible for these thoughts or if he thought them up on his own. I rise from my chair and take his face in my hands, his eye still avoids mine.

“You thought I would choose Asra,” I say and his eye finally meets mine for a moment, then looks down, his cheeks flush pink.

“There’s… a lot there… between the two of you. More than there is between us. He gave part of his heart to bring you back when I....”

I cut him off before he can start on a monologue of self loathing, “You didn’t let me die, Julian. I was working with plague victims. What could you have done? There was no cure.”

He pulls away, moving across the room and crossing his arms, his back to me.

“I’m not saying that to belittle you. No one could have stopped it.”

His voice is soft when he speaks, full of pain, “I watched you die, Alyce. Can you imagine living with that?”

“And I watched you hang.” The memory is burned into my mind, our eyes locked together for that moment before the trap door fell from under him, the sound of his neck breaking. “Knowing you should come back didn’t make it less horrible. But that doesnt tell me why you think I would choose Asra?’

“I suppose, “ he starts, turning to look at me again. “Because I’m afraid to let myself believe that all of this… is mine. I keep expecting to wake up from a dream.”

“If I throw the jar of leeches at your thick skull, will that prove it’s not a dream? It might work better than Mazelinka’s spoon.”

He laughs then, really laughs and I’m relieved for the sound of it. HIs face grows too serious again, though, when he speaks again, “You loved him though. I just don’t understand why you chose me.”

“I did love him, Julian, very much. And so did you at one time,” I smile warmly at him. “So why did _you_ choose _me_?”

He looks at me like the thought had never struck him before, “Because….. It’s in the past and we had our time. I’m not the same person I was then.”

“Exactly. I’m grateful for the time I shared with Asra but… I’m different now. Besides,” I say, wrapping my arms around his middle. “Would I agree to be stuck on a ship with you all the way to Nevivon and back if I didn’t love you? Or put up with those gross things?”

He laughs again as I motion at the leeches and lifts me up in a hug, swinging me around in a circle. “No, No you would not, my darling Alyce! But is it fair to Asra to call me the love of your life?”

“It’s not wrong,” I smirk. “I died. This is a new life. Asra was the love of my last life. This one belongs to you.”

He grins and kisses me, setting me back on my feet. There’s a glimmer in his eye when he pulls away. “And the leeches?”

I roll my eyes at him. I should have seen that one coming. “And the damn leeches.”

“Splendid, glad to hear it, my dear,” he says with a flourish. “Now, let’s go over the proper way to attach and remove a leech.”

I let out an obnoxiously loud groan as he rolls up his sleeves and makes a beeline for the jar.


End file.
